Page 27 of Savage Reign

I have no idea who this Eva is, but since she’s not a gun-toting guard, maybe she’ll take pity on me. “You need to know that Nikolai abducted me. If you have any shred of decency, you’ll help me. I need to call my sister an?—”

“A word of advice,” she says, cutting me off with a raised hand. “Save your breath. Everyone in this house is loyal to Niko.”

“Then you’re loyal to a bad man,” I snap.

“Good, bad… all that’s subjective,” she responds, taking a sip from her juice.

“It’s really not,” I mutter, disheartened. What did I really expect, though?

“You must be hungry,” Eva says, like I didn’t just tell her I’m a prisoner. She opens a drawer and pulls out a container of baked goods, setting it in front of me. “Muffin? They’re oatmeal flax blueberry muffins. Gluten-free, dairy-free, made them myself.”

Not quite a selling point, but hunger wins out. “Sure.”

She sets one on a plate and slides it across to me. I stare at the sad little thing before reluctantly taking a bite. It’s not as bad as I expected, but it’s definitely not good. Eva beams at me anyway, clearly thrilled that someone is eating her creation.

“So, are you the… cook?” I ask, hoping for a better read on her.

“Oh god, no.” She laughs. “Niko would fire me in a hot second if I tried to feed him anything this healthy. Yelena’s the cook. And the housekeeper. And the boss of all house staff. You’ll see when she’s back from the market.”

Yeah, I guess I will see. I’m stuck here for now.

I was so close—so close to living my life on my terms before Nikolai fucking Zhukov barged in and dragged me into his world like Hades himself. A shiver coasts over my skin. The irony of my dance comes to mind. Did I somehow curse myself?

But I’m not going to accept this fate. I’ll find a way out. I don’t know how yet, but I will. And I’ll do it without putting my friends at risk.

I drain the last of the coffee, the caffeine taking the edge off my exhaustion. It’s not an actual plan, but I’m determined to figure something out. My first step is learning who works and lives in this house—starting with the woman in front of me, still nursing her green sludge.

“So,” I ask casually, “what is it you do here?”

She pauses with her drink halfway to her lips. “Oh, I don’t work here.”

Right. She doesn’t work here, but she recently finished a workout, seems to know her way around the kitchen, is obviously loyal, calls him Niko...

God, I’m such an idiot. She’s his lover.

Of course. What did I expect? He might be evil, but he’s hot as all get out, and she’s also stunningly beautiful. I shouldn’t be surprised someone is warming his sheets, yet I feel the tiniest pang of… I don’t know what. Definitely not jealousy. Irritation?

Would she be as friendly if she found out I had sex with her boyfriend less than twelve hours ago? Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows what kind of open arrangement they have. Whatever it is between them, I don’t care. I want nothing to do with Nikolai, in or out of the bedroom.

But none of this is on her, and if I’m going to be stuck here with her, even for a little while, it's smart to keep things civil between us. Maybe, if we become friendly and I gain her trust, she’ll let something slip that will be helpful in my escape.

Her eyes trail down my body, taking in my disheveled state. At least I still have Nikolai’s jacket over my shoulders. The one kindness he paid me today, if you can call it that. “Looks like you’ve had quite a night. How about I show you to your room?”

My room.When Nikolai put me in the car, he told his men to find me a room. And on the plane, he said he didn’t force himself on women, but now I get it. He has this supermodel to share a bed with every night. I should be relieved, but for whatever reason, I’m annoyed. It’s probably heartburn from the muffin. It sits in my belly like a stone.

“I’d love nothing more than to get out of this disaster of a dress.”

She gives me a quick up-and-down look. “I have a few things that might fit you. I’ll drop them off in the morning.”

I nod and rise from the stool, the buzz from the coffee already wearing off. A shower and sleep will probably do me a world of good. And some answers, but I have a feeling I won’t be getting those anytime soon.

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

SOFIYA

My eyes fly open,and my heart pounds as something cold and hard snaps around my ankle. I jerk upright, tangled in sheets, unsure of where I am or what is happening.

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